


Something Just Like This

by TVDramaQueen



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-09-26 19:22:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9918044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TVDramaQueen/pseuds/TVDramaQueen
Summary: Mitch never thought he would ever find someone that could fix the broken heart Dylan left him with.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So this was originally a one shot, then a two shot, and then I just decided to write a whole story with it. Hope you guys enjoy. Also follow me on tumblr @princess-nylander.tumblr.com and instagram @d.oughty8

Mitch had always been in love with Dylan.

Since they were 16 years old and the two shared their first kiss in Dylan’s driveway after a long game of road hockey; sticks and gloves forgotten in front of them, clothes sweaty and hair rumpled. Mitch had loved Dylan even after games where Dylan beat him, though at times he didn’t act that way to Dylan’s face. He loved Dylan through the Otters beating them in the 2015 playoffs and he loved Dylan when he was drafted ahead of him 2000 miles apart. 

But then things changed, and Mitch was suddenly in the spotlight more then Dylan, the Knights have a hell of a season and hoping to make noise in the playoffs. Dylan didn’t seem to be as invested in their relationship as he used to be. And then Mitch and his Knights beat the Otters in the playoffs and the hug they shared on the ice was the last time they spoke until Mitch won his cup and found out through Twitter his boyfriend was cheating on him.

-

Mitch met Auston shortly after the draft when he came down to Toronto early before camp. The two went out to lunch together and Mitch gave Auston a personal tour of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Mitch had more fun that day then he had had in months, except for of course, winning the Memorial Cup.

That was pretty cool too.

He and Auston texted and snapped a lot through the rest of the summer, mostly chirping and idle talk about their summers. Mitch spent a lot of his days screening calls and messages from Dylan and mopping with Chris and his parents. He knew he should let Dylan explain himself but he didn’t really want to hear it. What Dylan did was not acceptable to Mitch and for that he didn’t deserve a second chance.

As training camp approached, Auston came down to Toronto again, to look at apartments and move some of his things once he found one he liked. A lot of the younger guys came to town early as well and the group of rookies decides they should do some alcohol related bonding time.

At the bar, Mitch spends a lot of his time pressed up against Auston’s side in the booth. He would probably spend the whole night like that; tipsy and giggly at Auston’s stupid jokes, but Willy eventually pulls him out onto the dance floor. After that he has a couple more drinks and somehow ends up in an Uber with Auston.

“Your going to be so hungover tomorrow.” Auston said with a snort.

Mitch rolled his eyes even though he knew it was true.

“You should just sleep at my place tonight.” Auston continued.

Mitch turned his head to look at Auston “Yeah?”

“Yeah, the guest room is set up and I’d rather see you suffer in person then over snap chat.”

“Ha ha.” Mitch replied back with a glare, watching as Auston tried to stifle a laugh.

It was weird spending the night with Auston but in the morning, he was actually really caring about Mitch’s nasty hangover, bringing him water and asprin when Mitch complained it was too bright with the faint light coming through the closed blinds. Once his head was feeling better they played COD and Mitch realized how shitty Auston was and how fun it was going to be to chirp him about it all season long.

And then Mitch went home and he suddenly felt kind of lonely without Auston. And he knew it was too soon to text him after he just dropped him off. He spent almost 20 minutes staring at the clock from his bed waiting the apporiate amount of time before finally texting Auston. But luckily for Mitch, the longing feeling must have been mutual, because Auston’s reply came back in less then a minute’s time.

-

As training camp and preseason went on Mitch spent a lot of his spare time with Auston. Every road game he and Auston would spend time together in one of their rooms making fun of each others wardrobe choises, every home game they would play video games and swat at each other and kick each other until they ended up wrestling or the one time Auston tickled Mitch until he almost pissed himself. They also spent a lot of time in bars, because their 19 and the older guys love taking out the kids and fucking them up, Naz and Uncle Leo convincing Willy to do a bunch of shots of tequila while Mo keeps ordering drinks none of them have even heard of and shoving them down their throats. 

Mitch spends a lot of time with Auston even then though. While Marty tries to get him to come dance and Willy tries to hand off girls to him he always denies in favour of sitting at the booth with Auston and getting drunk enough for Auston to make him spend the night at his apartment.

It’s not that Mitch has a thing for Auston. It’s not. He just likes his company. They’re friends.

After a tough loss, they go out for a few drinks but Mitch can’t find it in him to drink much. Auston however, is for once actually having a couple drinks, and then he follows Sosh and Zach onto the dance floor, leaving Mitch confused.

He must be showing it, because not much later Marty comes and sits down with him.

“He’s just dancing man.”

“I know, oh my gosh Matt.”

“I’m sure it’s just because of the loss.”

“Why do you think I care so much?” Mitch asks, suddenly angry, mainly due to how jealous he is that Auston isn’t here with him.

Again, they are just friends.

“Well you’ve been staring daggers at the back of Sosh’s head since they walked off. I assumed it had something to do with Auston, unless it doesn’t?”

“It doesn’t.” Mitch clarifies, though it may be more to himself then to Matt. Matt shrugs and chugs some more of his beer.

Some time passes, songs change, and suddenly Mitch has finished two drinks that he doesn’t remember ordering and heads onto the dance floor to find Auston.   
Auston seems more then excited to see him, grabs him by the boney waist and pulls him closer. The two dance for a little while before Auston suddenly decides they should go outside for some air, and Mitch isn’t going to say no to that.

Auston’s leaning against the brick wall now, looking at Mitch with the most genuine smile and not looking drunk at all. Mitch keeps giggling and smiling back, even though they aren’t really even talking.

Then Auston says “Come here.” And grabs Mitch’s hip again, and Mitch comes, and then he’s breathing in Auston’s cologne and then he’s kissing Auston’s soft lips against the side of a cold brick wall.

They end up stumbling into an Uber, Auston’s arm wrapped around Mitch’s waist, giggling like teenage girls when words fail them. And then they end up in Auston’s bed, and though it doesn’t turn into full blown sex, the hand job is pretty nice too.

-

Dylan finds out the same way the fans do.

When Mitch moved into Auston’s guest room, he told Connor it was because he hated the drive from his parents into Toronto everyday they had games or practice. At the time, Dylan thought it made sense, until almost everyday all he saw on social media was Mitch and Auston this, Mitch and Auston that. They were too close, like more then Dylan and Connor close. Dylan felt like they were almost Dylan and Mitch close…

Then Dylan got sent down and he finally heard something from Mitch. He was expecting the text to be something on the lines of “Karma” but instead it was a “Sorry :(“. Dylan thought maybe Mitch was trying to turn over a new leaf, reconcile and fix their relationship. But when Dylan tried to text back some stuff about them meeting up when he got back to Erie, he got radio silence in return.

He didn’t hear much more from Mitch until the Leafs were in Buffalo and Dylan and Brinksy went to go see the game. Taylor was going to come but Dylan had a feeling that would ruin his chances of Mitch staying around to talk.

It was second intermission and Dylan was scrolling through Instagram while Brinsky went to the bathroom, when he really found out about Mitch and Auston. 

Though the two had been toying around with the Leafs fan base for awhile about the truth of their relationship, Mitch’s post from earlier was clear enough to finally get the point across. It was him and Auston, Mitch’s head pillowed on Auston’s chest as they were lying on Auston’s couch, Mitch wearing Auston’s favourite snapback on his head. 

Dylan’s heart sunk and he decided, realistically, it was going to take a lot more to win Mitch back.

-

Auston had wanted to come right out with their relationship. He and Mitch were together all the time anyways, and with all the social media posts about them, it was easy to put together that they were dating. 

But Mitch was hesitant, and Auston could understand why. The way his relationship with Dylan had ended scarred him, and he wanted to be careful with his feelings and heart now. Auston literally did everything to make sure Mitch knew he would never do that to him, even if he had the “sleeps around” title before they met.

“He literally carried you from the couch to your room last night,” Willy started as they passed the puck between themselves during practice, waiting for their turns on the drills, “He’s like, A+ boyfriend material.”

“I know that okay.” Mitch sighed, sick of feeling so worried about Auston breaking his heart when deep down he knew he never would.

“If you’re just going to keep leading him on, I might steal him from you.”

“Oh please, you’d get bored of the nice guy act within a month. Didn’t you break up with your last boyfriend because he was “too nice?””

“He didn’t just hold the door for me, he held the door for the next 16 people. And that’s not the point.”

Mitch laughed “I’m just trying not to end up like you, what with my 40 different boyfriends by the time I’m 21.”

“I’m only 20 asshole.”

“Not even going to deny your long list of lovers?”

“That’s not what we are talking about. We are talking about you trusting Auston and letting him be your boyfriend.”

Mitch is about to protest but they get called over by Babs. After practice he falls asleep while Auston drive them home and wakes up to his nudging him awake lightly.

“I’d carry you, but then I might be a game time decision tonight”

Mitch chuckles and climbs out of the car. He walks close by Auston, who laces their fingers together as they wait for the elevator. Inside, Mitch rests almost all his weight on Auston’s side and thinks about how nice it would be if he had never met Dylan and he could be normal, with no trust issues at all.

They beat Edmonton 3-2 in overtime that night, and Mitch goes out with Connor, spends the night trying to hide the fact he and Auston are dating, repeating “He’s just my best friend” over and over. 

After he finally shakes Connor loose and makes him pay the bill, he heads home to Auston, who is gaming with Brownie and Zach and losing miserably.

Normally Mitch would chirp him, but suddenly, after spending all that time with Connor convincing him how non-romantic he and Auston are, all he wants to do is snuggle with his Papi. So, like Mitch Marner does, he shoves Brownie out of the way enough to plaster himself to Auston’s side and chirp him until Auston shuts him up with a quick kiss.

Which get’s him killed again by Zach.

“So whipped, Auston.” Zach chirps from beside him.

If this had been Dylan, he would have shoved Mitch off so he could call whoever said that a bunch of sad names (because Dylan couldn’t even trash talk a tree) and then apologize to Mitch when his friends weren’t around and his reputation wouldn’t be harmed.

But Auston just shrugs and snuggles closer to Mitch before chirping Brownie about his poor accuracy. Mitch is honestly befuddled, because in all his years with Dylan, something like that had never happened.

Later that night, way after midnight, when Brownie and Zach had finally left and Auston finally was crawling into bed behind Mitch, kissing his shoulder before whispering goodnight, Mitch finally gives in.

“I think we should tell people.” He whispers into the dark, bumping Auston’s cold toes with his own.

Auston’s arms tighten around him and Mitch hears him hum happily behind him. Mitch falls asleep with the same smile as Auston plastered on his face.

-

“Are you guys actually wearing matching outfits?” Mo says somehow, through how hard he’s laughing, tears forming in the corner of his eyes.

Auston glares at him and Gards, who is also laughing, to shut them up. 

And then of course, Mitch has to say “It was Auston’s idea. I was going to wear something else.”

Which, of course, starts more laughter around the dressing room.

-

They spend bye week in Grand Cayman. Though, they probably could have saved money and just stayed in bed all day in their apartment in Toronto, because really, that’s all they’ve done in Grand Cayman.

“Are you going to leave the room once this week?” Carrick yells through the door after Auston just canceled to do lunch with him and Matt five minutes ago, so he and Mitch could “rest”.

“Auston is scared of sharks.” Mitch called back “So, probably.”

Auston laughs and rolls back on top of Mitch.

-

Auston makes the All-Star roster, Mitch doesn’t.

“Are you going to go to LA?” Connor asks over facetime, late, both after they’ve finished games.

“I mean, I didn’t make the team. I was just going to go see the Knights game and maybe hang with Pu-“

“Comeee.” Connor whines “You, me, Auston and Leon can hang out. It’ll be fun.”

“Oh, Leon’s coming?” Mitch asks with a smirk plastered on his face. He turns, hears Auston bitching about burning something from the meal he’s attempting to make them, and giggles, causing Connor to smirk right back at him.

“So, domesticated. God, you two are worse then you and Dylan.”

“Oh, I’m sure Leon doesn’t ever cook for you.”

“At least he can cook.”

Mitch laughs and finishes his call before Auston walks over with his slightly burnt soup (How is that possible, Auston?). Mitch rests his head on his shoulder as he eats and Auston tries to find some basketball for them to watch.

Auston’s nudging Mitch’s foot with his own as he slurps at his soup when he broaches the topic. 

“You can come to LA you know. My parents and sisters are coming. It’d be nice, you know, if I had you around.”

Mitch looks at him kind of befuddled. He wasn’t expecting Auston to invite him. Besides the Christmas break, he’s spent almost everyday with Auston in some capacity. The only day they barley saw each other was the day before the Centennial Classic when Auston had family obligations and Mitch babysat for the Bozak’s. He thought Auston might want the opportunity to spend a little time without him. He honestly did not think Auston would even consider bringing him along.

“Really?”

“Yeah, of course. We can go tear up the beach before I have to go do stuff. You know, like we were supposed to on Bye Week.” 

“That was your fault. You held me hostage with your mouth.”

They’ve only been together 3 months, and this is the fastest Mitch has ever moved in a relationship. He knows they should probably slow things down a bit, let Auston have some space so he doesn’t feel to suffocated by Mitch’s presence. But Mitch also really wants to spend more time with Auston and LA does have better weather then London.

“Yeah, I’ll come. But you better buy me a Matthews All Star jersey with your bonus money that I can wear to the game.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Auston chuckled back, nudging Mitch’s foot again as Mitch leaned up to press a kiss to his cheek.

-

It’s a clean hit. But it doesn’t make it any less painful.

Mitch limps off the ice, which, Auston tries to use to give himself some hope. Tries to not let Mitch in pain distract him while he tries to finish the game.

Once he hits the locker room after the third period, Mitch is there. He looks tired and he’s dressed holding ice to his shoulder. Auston winces at the sight.

Mitch is really quiet on the plane. He lies his head on Auston’s shoulder the moment he sits down, ice still pressed to his shoulder. Auston tries to ask him how he’s doing or if he’s in any pain but Mitch shuts him out, breath shallow as he pretends he’s not listening to Auston.

Once they land Mitch follows Auston back to the car and is still quiet once they back in back to the apartment. Auston grabs both their bags from the trunk and trudges behind Mitch towards the elevator. Auston unlocks the apartment door and throws the bags down, ready to deal with the tomorrow, when Mitch reaches for his hand and tugs him towards the bedroom.

They spend almost an hour watching Netflix in silence while Mitch ices his shoulder before he finally opens his mouth. 

“I feel like I’m letting the team down.”

“By getting hurt?” Auston asks, looking away from the show playing in front of them to look at Mitch, who looks back and looks even more hurt and tired then he did in the locker room.

“Were one point behind Boston and now I get hurt.”

“Mitch, you can’t blame yourself for getting hit.”

“But if I had just-“

“No, you’re not blaming yourself. You are not letting anybody down. I’ll you’ve done is made people proud. This tiny injury is not going to ruin the season. Okay?”

“Okay.” Mitch repeats, sliding over to rest his head on Auston’s shoulder, letting his boyfriend pet his fingers through his hair until he falls asleep.

It’s hard for Mitch to get used to not playing and not practicing with the guys. He comes with Auston to practice on Friday, though he gets to sit on the bench and mope while he watches all the guys. 

The team docs look him over once and rule him out for the weekend, which means Mitch will be left alone to die while Auston goes to Carolina.

“You will be fine.” Auston says for the 20th time as he gets Mitch’s pain meds ready that night while Mitch pouts at him like a puppy dog.

“No, I won’t. I’m going to trip and fall getting out of bed to turn on the TV to watch the game and die.”

“Well I will leave the remote beside the bed then.” Auston replies, handing Mitch the pills and a glass of water to down them with.

Once he has he continues his pouting.

“What if I decide to have a shower and I reach to scratch my back and the pain in my shoulder makes me faint and I drown in the shower?”

“You sure are good at coming up with hypotheticals.” Auston chides as he walks into the bathroom and shuts the door behind him, leaving Mitch to groan in aggravation.

Normally he would never be like this. But after living with Auston for 4 months now and being attached to the hip for 5, he’s not used to being left alone. He doesn’t want Auston to go, secretly wishes he would take a puck to the face in Ottawa and not be able to travel Sunday. But realistically he knows they need Auston and that he’s being selfish. It is just for a day.

“Good thing I will only be gone for one night, otherwise I might come home to the cops investigating your death.” Auston says as he comes back out of the bathroom to join Mitch in the bed.

Mitch huffs but rolls over to look at him.

“I hope you take a puck to the face tomorrow.”

Auston barks out a laugh. Mitch is still convinced he might drown in the shower this weekend.

-

Mitch’s injury lasts a lot longer then he expected.

He mopes about it a lot during the week, sad when Auston has to go with practice without him, sad when Auston doesn’t get back from Carolina until late when he’s already half asleep. Auston tries his best to be sympathetic but he also thinks Mitch is being slightly unreasonable.

(Though he would never dare to say that out loud)

“He’s just being a brat because he’s codependent as fuck.” Willy bitches while they’re out for drinks after the Rangers game. Mitch had come to meet up with them but was acting grumpy because Auston sat between Sosh and Zaits and neither were planning on moving anytime soon.

“I am not!” Mitch whined back

“You don’t see me crying when Zach isn’t here.” Willy shoots back, causing Mitch to roll his eyes

“You’re still playing! I had to sit at home and watch the last four games from the couch.”

“You’ll be back Saturday.” Auston sighed out

“You don’t know that! I could be out until September for all I know!”

Auston snickered. Mitch glared.

Later that night, once they got home and Mitch was in bed, blankets tucked firmly around him, Auston started to feel for him. He never had really gone through an injury before, so he frankly didn’t know what Mitch was going through. But he began to realize how painful it was for him to watch all his teammates out on the ice, playing good or poorly, and him not being able to do anything about it.

“Babe.” Auston said as he crawled into bed, prodding at Mitch’s back.

Mitch ignored him and continued to stay on his side.

“Mitch.” Auston tried again. “Mitchell.”

“Ew stop. Don’t call me Mitchell, you sound like my dad.”

Auston snorted and helped Mitch roll himself and his blanket cocoon over.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been much help while you’ve been out.”

“You have been though.” Mitch said back, not making eye contact with Auston “I am being a brat, like Willy said. When I got hurt in London it never used to bother me this bad.”

“No?”

“Well, then I had Dylan. So, it was kind of nice because I could see him more. But now I have you, so being injured I barley see you as much as I usually do. I’m just being clingy. I know.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Auston soothed, tilting Mitch’s chin up to look at him.

“But you’ll get annoyed with me. And leave me. Or cheat on me like Dylan did.”

“I’d never do that.”

Mitch nodded though he really didn’t seem all that convinced.

“I’m serious Mitch. I would never end things with a guy as amazing as you just because you want to spend time with me. If I was that kind of person we would have been over ages ago. But I’m not. I love everything about you, even your quirks that you think need fixing. I rather you be clingy then off hanging out without me anyways.”

Mitch laughed and dawned his patent Marner smile. Auston leaned over to kiss him, cupping Mitch’s face with the hand he still had on his jaw.

“I love you so much.” Auston said as he pulled away

“I love you more.” Mitch said back, and pulled him back in for more.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Coldplay & Chainsmokers new song "Something Just Like This"


End file.
